Foundation gives $30K for fairgrounds repairs

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A nonprofit group came to the aid of the Nevada County Fairgrounds recently after an especially wet winter took a toll on the McCourtney Road facility.

The Nevada County Fairgrounds Foundation donated $30,000 to the fair to help pay for underground electrical repairs on the property.

Over the winter, water seeping into the ground shorted the underground primary power line coming into the fairgrounds from McCourtney Road and blew out a transformer, said Fair CEO Sandy Woods. The older, aluminum-covered line must be replaced with modern wiring all the way to the fair's RV park, Woods added.

"We were glad to be able to help," said Ed Scofield, president of the Fairgrounds Foundation and former fair CEO. "We've always looked at ways to help with their capital improvement needs."

It will cost the fair $49,000- $50,000 to repair the damage, Woods added. The difference will come out of the fair's general fund. Work should be completed early this summer, Woods said.

"We are so thankful to our foundation for providing the funds to complete this unanticipated, but necessary, repair to the fairgrounds infrastructure," Woods said. "With the elimination of state funding, the foundation plays an increasingly critical role in supporting the fairgrounds and ensuring the fairgrounds' continued success."

Scofield credited the foundation's March cioppino feed fundraiser for raising about half of what was needed for the donation, he said.